mentir
/menˈtiɾ/
To lie in Spanish is mentir.
Mentir is a common and versatile verb for 'to lie' in Spanish. While mentir is the verb, the noun for 'a lie' is mentira.
Which one should you use?
The verb mentir specifically means to tell an untruth, whereas the verb tumbarse or acostarse is used for the physical act of lying down.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the 'e' changes to 'ie' in the third person singular and plural forms (such as miente). It is also a stem-changing verb in the preterite tense, where the 'e' changes to 'i' in the third person singular and plural (such as mintió).
How do you pronounce it?
/menˈtiɾ/
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific phrase mentir como se respira which literally means 'to lie as one breathes'. It is used to describe a pathological liar who lies effortlessly and constantly.
- The verb mentir is a relative of the Latin mentīrī, which is rooted in the word for 'mind' or 'intellect'. This suggests that lying was historically viewed as a mental fabrication.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you tell a small, harmless lie, you might say you are telling a mentira piadosa, which translates to a 'pious lie'.
Examples in context
- No tenés que mentir.You don't have to lie.Tatoeba #2288280 by hayastan, translation #2283653 by CK
- No está bien mentir.It's wrong to lie.Tatoeba #2717868 by Shishir, translation #2533402 by CK
- Me forzaron a mentir.They forced me to lie.Tatoeba #4486717 by Shishir, translation #4728240 by paper1n0
- No puedo mentirle a mi jefe sobre mi error.I can't lie to my boss about my mistake.
- No debemos faltar a la verdad en nuestras declaraciones oficiales.We must not lie in our official statements.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a broken vase.
- DanielMaría, ¿tú rompiste el florero?María, did you break the vase?
- MaríaNo lo hice, Daniel.I didn't do it, Daniel.
- DanielNo me gusta que me quieras mentir.I don't like that you want to lie to me.
- MaríaEstá bien, yo lo rompí.Okay, I broke it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mentir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mentir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
